Mark of Love (Love Mark #3) - Linda Kage Page 0,72
that, you worthless cow?”
“Me?”
I probably would’ve started another brawl with her then for accusing me of something that totally wasn’t my fault, but Indigo blurted, “You mean, the only thing you need in order to switch places with someone on Earth and remain there permanently is a simple talisman?”
“No, no, you idiot boy.” Melaina sniffed loftily, forgetting about me for the moment. “A talisman enhances a mage’s power. An amulet protects them from evil, or in this case, the suction of the portal between both worlds. Without the amulet, you’ll get pulled back into the Outer Realms when the pathway closes in a few moon cycles. Of course, you can always reopen it—if you’re a Graykey or a Graykey mate—and return there, but you’ll be continuously sucked back here unless you have a certain amulet to perpetually ground you there.”
“Except it’s dangerous to keep going back to Earth too often,” I put in forcefully, reminding Melaina of that with a hard look because she put herself at risk to visit Taiki, Questa, Quailen, and their families far too often.
She ignored me. “So, yes. There you have it. We’re going to Tyler to find two amulets so we can leave the Outer Realms forever. Congratulations. You’ve just made yourself a liability to us. Now you could tell someone where we went. I guess this means we’ll have to kill you when we leave after all.” She produced a dagger from her cloak and flipped the blade open, adding, “Or I could just take your life right now.”
“Or you could take me with you when you go,” Indigo countered.
I stepped between him and Melaina, where I gave my aunt a dry sigh. “Why would it matter who he told?” I asked. “The only people who could follow us through and harm us are other Graykeys.”
“Like Qualmer,” Melaina spat back. “And don’t tell me you think he’s not still kicking around out there somewhere, hidden under some immaculate and no doubt gaudy disguise. Let’s not forget, the last time I saw him, I tried to murder him. Again. And I failed. Do you honestly think he wouldn’t come looking for revenge if he ever figured out how to open the portal? Besides, can we seriously trust the Graykeys-only part of the portal opening legend? No one was supposed to be able to break their bonded mating to a Graykey either, yet Janicka Godone proved that was possible. We’ll never be safe if we leave with a loose string like him behind.”
When she motioned toward Indigo with a sneer, I shifted another step to block him from her view.
“Which is a non-issue, anyway,” Indigo put in, appearing at my side. “Because you’re not leaving me behind. I’m going with you.”
“No, you’re not,” I spat, sending him an incredulous glance. “You’re not a Graykey.”
“I’m a Graykey mate,” he shot back, with a little too much glee. “Or I will be.” Then he pointed at the mark on the side of his head. “Prove me wrong.”
“That may prove I’m your mate. But you’re not mine. I would have to claim you as mine to truly bind you to me in order for you to pass between worlds. And I’ll never do that.”
He pointed at me as if he was going to say something nasty, but then he shook his head and countered with, “We’ll come back to that later.” He turned to Melaina and announced, “I’m going with you two to Earth.”
“If you were to come with us,” she shot back haughtily, “we’d need to find three amulets, then, and we haven’t found any. Not in the past eight years. And I don’t feel like waiting around long enough to discover a third.”
A spark of guilt shot through me, knowing I probably should tell her about the amulet tucked away on my person, but I couldn’t seem to risk it. Not yet. She was too unpredictable.
Indigo glanced at me then, his brow furrowing slightly, as if he were catching a whiff of my guilt. But then he turned back to Melaina.
“Which is exactly why you need me,” he announced. “Investigating, collecting information, and discovering where things are is literally what I do. I can help you find the amulets.” Lifting his book as if that were proof of his abilities, he said, “Just ask your niece. She read some of my research. If I want something found, I find it.”
“No,” I growled. “No, no, no, no. You’re not helping us find the amulets, because you’re not